Cafe hinge



United States Patent 3,378,881 CAFE HINGE .lotfre E. R. Hentzi, Kensington, Conn., and Lewis C. Kiser, Lebanon, Ind., assignors to The Stanley Works, New Britain, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Sept. 11, 1964, Ser. No. 395,820 6 Claims. (Cl. 16-153) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE For swingably mounting a door on a jamb, a gravityactuated pivot hinge assemblage of upper door-carried and lower jam'b-fixed frusto 'conical pivot elements having complemental minor ends formed with helical cam surfaces coaxial with a pivot pin fixedly carried by the upper element and passing through the lower element, the cam surfaces being free from contaminants by being overhung by the outer surfaces of the elements and by extending transversely at an oblique angle to the pin axis and having abutment shoulders formed at high points thereof for cooperative engagement to releasably hold the door in an open position.

This invention relates to a hinge assembly for swinging doors and the like. More particularly it relates to an improved pivot hinge assembly which utilizes the force of gravity for returning a door to a predetermined rest position.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved pivot hinge assembly of the gravity-actuated type which exhibits full bearing contact at a rest position, is self-holding in an open position and tends to minimize excessive oscillation of the attached door with its resultant abrasive wear and annoyance.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved pivot hinge assembly which is self-protected to prolong the life and enhance the operating characteristics of the hinge assembly.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a pivot hinge assembly which not only maintains the door in a self-holding open position but also permits further opening movement of the door without releasing the door from its self-holding status.

A further object of this invention is to provide a gravity-actuated hinge for swinging doors which permits the proper and accurate aligning or mating of the door member with the jamb of the door frame or with a complementary swingingdoor in its jamb, yet is simple in design and susceptible to quick and easy installation.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view schematically showing the pivot hinge assembly of the present invention as used to mount a swinging door on a door jamb;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the assembly taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 with the hinge assembly of the present invention in section and the door mounted thereon, partially broken away;

FIG. 4 shows the upper pivot element of the assembly depicted in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 shows the lower pivot element of the assembly of FIG. 3.

3,3 78,881 Patented Apr. 23, 1968 Referring now to the drawing in detail wherein like referenced characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, there is shown a fragmentary view of the jamb 10 of a door frame having hingedly and pivotally mounted thereon a swinging door member 12 which is normally maintained in the rest position shown in FIG. 1. Mounted on the jamb 10 by suitable means, such as the screws 14, are the top and bottom L-shaped brackets, 16, 18 which cooperate with the pivot pins 20, 22, respectively, to maintain the door 12 in its mounted pivotable position.

The top pivot pin 20, as shown, is fixedly and nonrotatably secured to a top pivot plate 24, which in turn is attached to the top of door 12 while the top bracket 16, provided with reinforcing rib 26, slideably receives the pin 20 through an aperture in its protruding leg 28 and cooperates therewith to maintain the door 12 in an upright pivotable position. As shown in FIG. 1, the bracket 16 is spaced from the pivot plate 24 a sufficient distance to permit vertical movement of the door 12 during the opening and closing thereof.

The lower or bottom bracket 18, also reinforced by means of a pair of ribs 30, has an outwardly extending leg 32 on which rests the gravity-actuated pivot hinge assembly generally designated 34. The assembly 34 comprises c-omplementary upper and lower pivot elements 36, 38 which are secured to the door and bracket leg, respectively, and are maintained in assembled working relationship by means of the lower pivot pin 22. The pivot elements 36, 38 comprise generally frusto-conical cam body portions 40, 42 which are tapered or inclined toward their respective integral fiat tongue portions 44, 46. Depending integrally from the end of cam body 42 opposite tongue portion 46 and extending downwardly below portions 42 and 46 is lug 48, best shown in FIG. 3. Lug 48 is received in the recess or slot 50 located on the free end of outwardly extending leg 32 of bracket 18. Securely holding element 38 in intimate physical contact with leg 32 is retaining screw 52 which passes through the aperture 55 in the tongue portion 46 and is threadably received by leg 32. Thus, through the cooperation of flange 48 and recess 50 as well as by means of screw 52 the element 38 is maintained in a fixed nonr-Otatable position relative to the pivot bracket 18.

Similarly, upper pivot element 36 of assembly 34 is maintained in a fixed position relative to its associated pivot plate 54. Pivot element 36 is provided with an integral lug 56, which depends from the cam body portion 40 thereof and fits within the terminal recess 58 located in pivot plate 54. The lug and recess cooperate with the retaining screw 60, as shown in FIG. 3, to hold element 36 in contact with plate 54 in a secure and relatively immobile manner.

Rigidly fixed within the countersunk aperture 62 of pivot plate 54 is the lower pivot pin 22 which passes through the central bore 64 of cam body portion 40 and protrudes outwardly therefrom. Upon assembly, the outwardly protruding portion of pivot pin 22 is slideably received within the complementary bore 66 located centrally in cam body portion 42, as well as the aligned aperture 68 located in the supporting leg 32 of the pivot bracket 18. As shown, the lower pivot pin 22 protrudes below leg 32 and is generally of sufficient length to be maintained within the bore 66 during normal operation of the assembly through its entire vertical movement.

The complementary pivot elements each possess cam surfaces which are fully interengageable along their entire len th and across their entire width when the door is in the closed position. Referring particularly to FIGS. 2 and 5, the lower pivot element 38- providcs a pair of inclined cam surfaces 70', 72 arranged on diametrically opposite sides of the central bore 66. Cam surfaces 70, 72

are generally helical in configuration and extend from the nonradial low points 74, 76, respectively, located at the area of juncture between the cam body portion 42 and the tongue portion 46, upwardly to the nonradial high points 78, 80, respectively. Immediately rearwardly of and abutting the cam surfaces 76, 72 are a pair of wedge-shaped flat areas 79, 81, generally coplanar with fiat tongue portion 46, the diverging portions of areas 79, 81 being adjacent the central bore 66 of cam body portion 42. Between and below the flat high areas 79, 81 lies a generally fiat recess or plateau 82 which is connected to the high areas by inclined surfaces 84, 86 having slopes of about 45. The high areas generally constitute the apex of abutment shoulders 88, 90 which provide a means for releasably maintaining the door in a self-sustained open position while the flat plateau 82 makes it possible for the door to swing to an even wider open position while still providing the positive stop preventing gravitational return of the door to its closed position.

The high and low points of the inclined, general y helical cam surfaces extend outwardly in a nonradial manner from the bore 66 and at right angles to the axis of the bore. However, as best shown in FIG. 2, the cam surfaces are radially tapered downwardly along their entire length so that essentially all radial lines along the cam surface extend transversely at an oblique angle to the axis of bore 66. As will be appreciated the exact size of the maximum oblique angle may vary depending upon the materials employed in the assembly as well as the load that need be supported. However, satisfactory results have generally been determined when an angle of about is utilized.

The outward tapering of the cam surfaces facilitates the use of a generally frusto-conical cam body portion for the cam elements 36, 38 while at the same time providing substantially the same bearing surface as would be provided by a larger cylindrical pivot element, thereby eifectuating a lighter assembly. Moreover the transversely oblique, generally helical cam surfaces facilitate full radial engagement of the complementary cam surfaces along their full widths irrespective of the exact camming position of the elements. Additionally, the tapered cam surfaces provide the functional advantages of preventing the entry of grit laden liquids and automatically pushing any dirt downwardly and outwardly thereby preventing the accumulation thereof and maintaining the cam surfaces free from abrasive materials which would hinder the smooth operation of the door.

Operatively positioned immediately above pivot element 38 is the complementary upper pivot element 36 containing helical cam surfaces 92, 94 which generally incline from their respective low points 96, 98 to the flat wedge-shaped areas 100, 102 which, unlike areas 79, 81 of element 36, have their diverging portions adjacent the outer surfaces of element 38. Areas 100, 102 form self-holding, releasable shoulders which define the high points of the pivot element as well as the rearward recess or plateau 104 therebetween. The cam surfaces 92, 94, like their complementary cam surfaces 70, 72, are disposed on diametrically opposite sides of the central bore 64 and are essentially identical yet opposite from each other; that is, each cam surface on each pivot element is the mirror image of the other cam surface on the same element. The cam surfaces on different elements, however, are complementary to each other and provide full and complete surface contact along their entire length and width when the assembly is mounted and the door is in the closed position shown in FIG. 1.

It is an additional feature of the present invention that the gravity-actuated pivot hinge can be adjusted to provide proper and accurate alignment of the door within the door frame or with a second swinging door.

This adjustment may be eifectuated, after mounting the door, by slightly loosening the screw 186 which passes through the slightly arcuate transverse aperture 108 in pivot plate 54, best shown in FIG. 4, into the bottom of door 12. The door 12 may then be adjusted slightly with respect to the pivot plate 54 and when in alignment the screw 106 may be tightened against the washer 110 to provide the proper and accurate permanent alignment for the door.

After the door has been mounted it may be moved to a self-holding open position by merely pushing the door in either direction through an arc sufficient to cause one high point of a first pivot element to slide into the recess or plateau defined by the high points of the other pivot element. For example, as the door 12 of FIG. 1

is pushed inwardly, the high point 100 of element 36 will travel along the entire length of cam surface 70 until it reaches wedgeshaped area 79 of element 38. It will then smoothly slide into recess 82 while at the same time shoulder 88 slides into recess 104. The cooperative action of the shoulders on the respective elements thereby temporarily prevents the return of the door to its initial position. As shown in the drawing, the cam surfaces extend through an arc of approximately thus requiring that the door be opened to that extent before it is selfsustained in the open position.

It is an additional advantage of the present invention that the door may be opened to an even greater extent without releasing it from its self-maintained open position. This is effectuated by simply moving the door further along its are causing the high points of the cam elements to slide along the fiat recesses or plateaus of their complementary elements. Since the plateaus extend, as shown, through an arc of about 90, room is provided for full and complete opening of the door.

A slight pressure is generally sufficient to lift the element out of its complementary recess and overcome the abutting shoulder contact which maintains the door in its open position. This release is readily and easily accomplished and is facilitated by the inclined surfaces which connect the recesses with their adjacent high points. The pivot element together with the door is then free to return under the influence of gravity to the closed position. Although the momentum of the door tends to cause undesirable overtravel and oscillation, the particular design of the pivot elements has a dampening effect on such oscillation thereby substantially reducing the annoying continuous swing of the door.

As will be appreciated from the foregoing description, the pivot hinge assembly of the present invention provides a neat and pleasingly appearing structure, which prevents the accumulation of unwanted dirt and other abrasive material on the cam surfaces of the pivot elements, while at the same time elfectuating by its configuration substantial economies in its manufacture. Additionally, means for maintaining the door in a self-sustained open position are provided as are means for accurately adjusting and aligning the door after it has been mounted on the pivot brackets. At the same time the present invention provides a built in damper on undesirable oscillations when the door is allowed to close by freely sliding along the cam surfaces.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modifications and adaptations of the structure above described will become readily apparent without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A pivot hinge assembly comprising an upper pivot element mounted on one of a pair of door and frame members for coaction with a lower pivot element mounted on the other of said members, one of the pivot elements having a pivot pin-receiving passage and the other having a pivot pin received in the passageway of the one pivot element to maintain the same in alignment while permitting relative axial and rotational movement of the elements, the elements having complementary helical cam bearing surfaces coaxial with said pivot pin, said helical cam surfaces having along their extent an oblique radial relationship to the axis of the pivot pin, said pivot elements having outer surface portions tapered inwardly toward the cam surfaces and terminating at the outer edge of said cam surfaces whereby the outer surface portions overhang the cam surfaces.

2. The assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein each pivot element is provided with raised shoulders for cooperatively and releasably holding the door in an open position.

3. The assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein each cam bearing surface has a high point and low point, and each of said pivot elements provides a recess adjacent the respective high points of the cam surfaces thereby forming abutment shoulders for cooperatively and releasably holding the pivot elements in an open position when the elements are relatively rotated into said open position.

4. The assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein said abutment shoulders are inclined to facilitate release of the pivot elements from the open position thereof.

5. In a gravity-actuated pivot hinge assembly a pair of pivot bearing elements adapted to be fixed to a jamb and the bottom of a door respectively with one pivot element supported on the other pivot element, said pivot elements having complementary helical cam surfaces mutually interengageable along various portions thereof depending upon the relative angular position between said elements, each of said pivot elements having a pivot pin-receiving bore and a pair of mutually complementary helical cam surfaces arranged on diametrically opposite sides of the bore, means including a pivot pin received through the bores of said pivot elements for maintaining said cam surfaces in alignment and permitting relative axial and rotational movement therebetween, a substantial portion of said cam surfaces extending radially at an oblique angle relative to the axis of the pivot pin; said pivot elements having outer surface portions tapered inwardly toward the cam surfaces and terminating at the outer edge of said cam surfaces whereby the outer surface portions overhang the cam surfaces.

6. The assembly as defined in claim 5 including an L-shaped bracket having a leg receiving and supporting the lower pivot element, fastener means securing the lower pivot element to the bracket leg generally at one end of the pivot element, a lug projecting from the other end of the lower pivot element, and a slot in the free end of the leg receiving the lug.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 671,274 4/1901 Fischer -46 2,663,212 12/1953 Henszey 85-32 3,113,649 12/1963 Wargo 16-153 3,083,402 4/1963 Folts 16153 612,471 10/1898 Wood 16153 FOREIGN PATENTS 617,837 2/1949 Sweden.

BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Examiner.

DORIS L. TROUTMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

